Transforming Soaps To Represent Real Life

From Canterbury Post – 19th January 2016

Back in October, the media was abuzz with casting news for two of Britain’s most popular soap operas. Eastenders led the way with the announcement that trans actor Riley Carter Millington would be coming onboard as the mysterious Kyle and shortly afterwards, Hollyoaks announced that trans actress Annie Wallace would be cast as headteacher Sally St Claire.

Although by no means the first trans actors to grace the screens, this was a huge step forward – these shows are watched by huge audiences across the country on a weekly basis, which can only be seen as a step forward in bringing trans issues well and truly into the mainstream.

In some ways, these soaps are playing catch up. It was back in 1998 that primetime got its first trans character when Coronation Street introduced Hayley Patterson (later Cropper) played by Julie Hesmondhalgh, who ironically carried out research for the role by getting to know Annie Wallace. But where they are making the huge step forward is that this is trans actors telling trans stories. Although acting knows no limits, there is a certain emotional resonance to be taken by actors who have lived at least parts of the stories they will be telling.

I am not a regular soap opera watcher but, keen to see how well the issues at hand would be handled I decided to tune in. My hope was that the characters would be introduced with a degree of subtly – after the media interest, it would be nice if they sort of ‘arrived’ without a blaze of glory. I hoped that their trans status would be handled in a hugely positive way, whereby that was entirely secondary to the other stories they were playing out around them. I hoped for characters who would say “I’m trans, I’m proud, this is who I am, can we move on?” – however what I got was something of a mixed bag in this respect.

Annie Wallace as Sally was first to appear. She arrived as a teacher and immediately locked horns with the headteacher, causing a bit of mischief and ultimately getting his job. An onscreen natural, Sally was tough, no-nonsense and also extremely funny. Not an entirely subtle entrance but, in the wider arena of what goes down in Hollyoaks, this is probably the best we could expect. For a while there was no mention of ‘trans’ at all until one day, another teacher discovered a piece of paperwork about Sally’s status. The biography that Hollyoaks provides on its website outlines that Sally is 50 years and has been living as a female for 28 years – over half her life. And yet, when the teacher finds out, Sally shuts down the conversation and swears him to absolute secrecy. When she mistakenly thinks he’s told somebody, her ‘secret’ becomes the centre of a blackmail storyline which all got very complicated.

Why must it be treated like Sally’s dirty little secret? In a landscape in which I would hope TV is positively promoting transgender issues, why must this aspect of Sally’s character become embroiled in secrecy and blackmail? Can we not have a character who, whilst they have been through a difficult time, is comfortable with the person that they are?

Kyle on the other hand got a very subtle entrance. He appeared in a one off episode watching Stacey Branning, making evident that he had a connection to her. It was a couple of months later when he next appeared again in much the same circumstances. When Kyle finally made his proper debut it was in amongst a tumultuous time for Stacey – she’s recently discovered her father had another family, and was also experiencing postpartum psychosis. Enter Kyle to drop the bombshell that he’s her half brother. Initially I was extremely pleased with how Kyle was introduced – he arrived with a group of friends, a sort of surrogate family of sorts, who all loved him to bits and who he was totally himself around. He opted not to tell Stacey straight away but I can’t imagine that’s the sort of thing you’d blurt out to a new found relative straight away anyway. So far so good – someone comfortable in their skin. Glimpses of a family not happy with the situation, but I don’t imagine that’s the most uncommon occurrence anyway, especially in a young trans character in their early 20’s.

Unfortunately, things took a turn. Another relative of Stacey’s revealed that, in the secret part of their family, there were no boys – Kyle couldn’t possibly be her brother. Cut to a shot of Kyle arriving to help a vulnerable Stacey, loaded with ambiguity as to whether he has honourable intentions or not. When later confronted by Stacey’s boyfriend on that matter (shortly after being accused of being the Devil by Stacey…!) Kyle sinks into his ‘secret’ and leaves with his tail between his legs.

I can only imagine this aspect of the story was designed to make viewers question who Kyle was and build a little tension and intrigue. But, when the story has been announced to the public a whole three months before it airs, it is a shame that once again we find ourselves down the secrecy route, and questioning the way Kyle might be treating someone who is having a breakdown.

Don’t get me wrong – I appreciate soaps thrive on their secrecy and I do applaud that they are trailblazing opportunities for trans actors. But, whereas I thought huge leaps and bounds were being made, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed by the way the stories have started. Granted, they still have a long way to go, and I shall keep a keen eye on both to see how they progress and if we can finally get something a little more positive on screen.